Alloy
by this-heart
Summary: Corin realizes that it's no longer dangerous to be who she is. But to feel for who she does is more dangerous than anything has ever been. Sulpicia/Corin.


**TITLE:** Alloy

**AUTHOR: **_this-heart_

**SUMMARY: **Corin realizes that it's no longer dangerous to be who she is. But to feel for who she does is more dangerous than anything has ever been. Sulpicia/Corin.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **You know you needed more Volturi femslash in your life. Also, stupid title is stupid, but I swear it will have some relevance later.

* * *

Once the pain has dimmed to embers rather than a human ablaze, she is delivered to the wives.

The servants had cleaned her up as best they could, scrubbing her from her dirty brown hair to her dirtier calloused feet. They put her in a dress worth more than her family's home, taking away the men's clothes she had put on before stealing quietly from her bedroom and into the dark night.

Aro, or _Master,_ as they call him, notices her discomfort. Extending his hand, she takes it in hers, not fully understanding his power. She has only recently, in the last several hours, understood what they all were, what she was to become.

"Ah, my dear Corinne," he smiles. "Why did you not say anything?"

"Please," she mumbles, suddenly unable to land her ruby eyes on his. "Corin."

"_Cor-_in," he repeats. Then, as she glances up, a wider smile. "As you wish."

She is rewarded for her honesty with black trousers and a shirt whiter than anything she has ever worn, and when she holds the articles of clothing with reverence and trembling hands, it isn't over their material value.

She is led up a winding staircase, getting sidetracked by the morning sun reflecting off her skin in scattered pearls. The way her clothes fit loosely on her curves is another pleasant distraction.

At last, her Master throws open the heavy doors at the top with enthusiasm. What he says as he does this goes unremembered- a beautiful creature resides behind these doors, and Corin's mouth nearly falls open.

This beautiful creature sits in a window-seat, combing her soft golden curls. Her red eyes, shaded by thick lashes, sweep Corin up and down very briefly. Her bone-white skin glows in the sunlight, rather than throwing droplets the way Corin's does.

Corin remembers herself after a few seconds of observation, and the guilt crashes over her. _No. Stop it. You can't._

"And who is this?" the woman asks, standing, and her voice is breathy as any of the Ancients'.

"This," Aro says, a hand on Corin's back, pushing her forward firmly, "is Corin."

"You are new." Corin almost jumps at the second female voice, and it is a moment before the other woman steps into view. Her appearance, too, is dazzling, but not so much as the first. "Are you the one who has been screaming for the past three days?"

Corin doesn't know what to say, so she says nothing. Too late, she wonders if this could be considered terribly rude.

Aro laughs. "Corin, show them what you can do."

She hesitates. He means her power, of course. But she had only just realized it existed in her. The dormant, inflexible force has only just been freed and what if she does something wrong?

"Go on, my dear," he says encouragingly, with just an edge of steel in his voice, as in _go on, you _will_ do it,_ so she holds her breath, closes her eyes and _does._

(Addictive contentment, they called it. The first time was unintentional; it was like discovering something new in a fully explored room. It was just experimental, and so easy to activate. Just a thought. Later, will she wish she'd never found it?)

After a minute or so, she cautiously opens the eye closest to Aro. He looks proud, and nods wordlessly. Corin opens her other eye and lets the air back into her lungs, shutting off whatever it was that made her master so happy.

"Very impressive," says the beautiful woman in a voice that makes her sound exceedingly unimpressed. She goes back to the bone comb in her hand and Corin withers just a bit.

Aro sighs contentedly. "Yes, well. Corin is our newest guard. She will accompany you and offer her services as often as you desire."

The woman combing her hair raises an eyebrow but says nothing.

He steps over to the window-seat, plucking her hand from her hair and kissing her knuckles gently. She smiles without looking at him. "This is my wife, Sulpicia. She and Athenodora, Master Caius's wife, will be your mistresses, and I do expect your utmost reverence towards them."

Sulpicia is her name. Too late, she realizes he is looking at her expectantly, waiting for a confirmation. Sulpicia is giving her a strange look, and Athenodora is ignoring her altogether. She nods quickly, thanking God or Aro that the embarrassment doesn't display itself on her face.

(And the answer is yes, she will.)


End file.
